Emirates to Reactivate 60 Airbus A380s By End of 2021

Emirates Airbus A380-861 (A6-EEU) - Photo Source: Enda Burke - AirTeamImages.com

Dubai-based airline Emirates will reintroduce sixty Airbus A380's by the end of the year, reactivating more than half of its A380 fleet. Currently, the UAE flag carrier has the largest fleet of superjumbo jets, with 118 A380s in the fleet.

Previously, the pandemic and the low demand for international and commercial flights had forced the airline to temporarily retire its entire fleet of A380s. But with increasing demand for commercial flights, especially on international routes, the Emirati airline has decided to change its plans.

Emirates Airbus A380-861 (A6-EUK) - Photo Source: Adam Tetzlaff - AirTeamImages.com

As of today, 47 Emirates A380s are operational, rising to 60 by the end of 2021 to 2022. Most, A380 operators have decided to put off reactivating their A380 fleets and due to the high costs of operating the superjumbo during the pandemic. However, a handful like British Airways recently brought the giants of the skies back into service. 

During an interview with National News, Emirates CEO Ahmed Bin Saaed stated that October saw the first operating profit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, according to Saaed, the airline has halved its losses for the first six months of the 2021-2022 fiscal years.

The UAE flag carrier also recently announced a plan to introduce premium economy class on some of the A380s to modernize and improve the flight experience even more. 

Despite the raging pandemic, the Airbus giant is staging a comeback in many airlines such as British Airways, Qantas, and Qatar Airways that plan to reactivate their superjumbos soon. 

Commercial Flight Statistics for Emirates (November 13 - November 19)

AirNav RadarBox data shows that between November 13 and 19, 2,401 flights were operated by the airline with a daily average of 343 flights. These figures represent a growth of +23.83% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The Image Above: AirNav RadarBox Commercial Flight Statistics

Emirates Fleet Utilization Statistics on AirNav RadarBox

According to the route heatmap for Emirates provided by AirNav RadarBox, the Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER were the most used aircraft, including the A380 occupying third of the most used aircraft by the UAE carrier.

The Image Above: AirNav RadarBox Fleet and Aircraft Utilization Statistics

Emirates Route Heatmap on AirNav RadarBox:

The Image Above: AirNav RadarBox Route Heatmap

Among the top 10 most flown destinations for Emirates are:

1st - Dubai Intl. Airport (DXB / OMDB) - 262.6 (45.1%) Average Movements/Day 

2nd -  Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK / VTBS) - 11.1 (1.9%) Average Movements/Day 

3rd - Chek Lap Kok Intl. Airport (HKG / VHHH) -  10.0 (1.7%) Average Movements/Day 

4th - London Heathrow Airport  (LHR / EGLL ) - 8.3 (1.4%) Average Movements/Day 

5th - Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS / EHAM) -  8.0 (1.4%) Average Movements/Day 

6th -  Chhatrapati Shivaji Intl. Airport (BOM / VABB) -  7.3 (1.3%) Average Movements/Day 

7th - Malé Intl. Airport (MLE / VRMM) - 7.2 (1.2%) Average Movements/Day 

8th - Frankfurt am Main Intl. Airport (FRA / EDDF) - 6.7 (1.2%) Average Movements/Day 

9th - Cairo Intl. Airport (CAI / HECA) - 5.6 (1.0%) Average Movements/Day 

10th - Indira Gandhi Intl. Airport (DEL / VIDP) - 5.5 (0.9%) Average Movements/Day